Humanities in the News

If you would like to announce a news item, please send the details to the Dean's Office at humsoff@uvic.ca.

2012

Canada shows fastest growth in G8

Peter Baskerville, Professor Emeritus, History

The Gazette and Ottawa Citizen are both continuing the coverage of the census results that show Canada's population is growing, especially in the West. Professor emeritus Peter Baskerville is quoted. The Gazette Ottawa Citizen

Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations

Mariel Grant, History

Mariel Grant (history) was interviewed yesterday evening at 5:50 p.m. on CBC Radio's province-wide "On the Coast" show with host Stephen Quinn, yesterday being the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, about Queen Elizabeth's legacy and character in comparison to those of Queen Victoria. (Queen Elizabeth is fast approaching the record holder for length of reign: Queen Victoria's 63 years.) On the Coast

25th Annual Medieval Workshop

The 25th Annual Medieval Workshop was featured on CHEK News last week. This year's Feb. 4 event explored an enduring fascination with magicians, seers and sages. The coverage included an interview with workshop coordinator Marcus Milwright (director of UVic's Medieval Studies program). Chek News (scroll to "Medieval Fair" Feb. 4).

Swiss delights await festivalgoers

Charlotte Schallié, Germanic and Slavic Studies

The CinemaSwiss showcase of films and film posters from Switzerland will be taking place as part of the Victoria Film Festival. Of note will be Los Angeles-based filmmaker Reto Caduff, invited as a Lansdowne lecturer to Victoria by Dr. Charlotte Schallie, Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies. www.timescolonist.com/entertainment/Swiss+delights+await+festivalgoers/6069064/story.html

The Thinking Man's Hip Hop

Baba Brinkman, English Alumnus

Baba Brinkman, who once studied medieval literature at UVic, believes in evolution as opposed to creationism. As a hip-hop artist, he likes to rap about this. The article was on the front page of the Arts section of Saturday's paper. Times Colonist

Early Modern Research Collective Website Launch

On January 11, the Early Modern Research Collective launched its new website. The site functions as a clearinghouse for scholarly events across campus related to the historical period 1400-1800. The EMRC has been active supporting original research in the humanities since 2003, and meets regularly throughout the academic year to discuss works in progress. For more information, see http://web.uvic.ca/~emrc/.

Sara Beam presenting the Early Modern Research Collective website

EMRC

Matthew Koch and Peter Cook, Department of History

EMRC

Sara Beam and Lynne Marks, Department of History

2011

2011 Sharon Stephens Prize awarded by the American Ethnological Society

Daromir Rudnyckyj, Pacific and Asian Studies

Spiritual Economies: Islam, Globalization, and the Afterlife of Development (Cornell University Press, 2010), by UVic anthropologist Daromir Rudnyckyj, was named co-winner of the 2011 Sharon Stephens Prize awarded by the American Ethnological Society, North America’s oldest association of professional anthropologists. The Stephens Prize is awarded biannually to a “work that speaks to contemporary social issues with relevance beyond the discipline of anthropology and beyond the academy.” Spiritual Economies deploys recent advances in ethnography to analyze moderate Islamic “spiritual reform” initiatives in Southeast Asia that reinterpret Islam to make it conducive to commercial success and business productivity. The prize committee wrote that Spiritual Economies “stood out for its commitment to excellence in ethnography, rich theory and compelling writing.” Rudnyckyj, an assistant professor in the Department of Pacific and Asian Studies and a specialist on development and religion in Southeast Asia, received the award at the meetings of the American Anthropological Association in Montreal on November 18. He is the second Canadian-based scholar to be awarded the prize.

Rudnyckyj Prize

Daromir Rudnyckyj receiving the 2011 Sharon Stephens Prize
from Ken Guest, chair of the prize committee.

Former PoWs find little comfort in apology

David Zimmerman, History

Local resident Gerry Gerrard carries the memory of more than three years of hunger and harsh treatment in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps during WWII. For him, Thursday's apology from Japan to Canadian prisoners has a hollow ring, reports the Times Colonist today. UVic historian Dr. David Zimmerman comments about the experience of the PoWs.

I say, do you have a Victoria accent?

Alexandra D'Arcy, Linguistics

Dr. Alexandra D'Arcy, Department of Linguistics, is examining how the English language has evolved in Victoria and whether it's true that Victorians are more British than other Canadians. The new study has been widely featured in the press, including the Times Colonist, UVic's monthly EDGE column, CBC's All Points West ( Nov. 30, go to 17:36), Global BC's Noon News Hour, Saanich News and UVic News.

Hallowe'en

Peter Golz, Germanic and Slavic Studies

Dr. Peter Golz of UVic's Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies was interviewed briefly on the vampire myth for the CHEK News Hallowe'en coverage last night. Video (click on "CHEK Point Hallowe'en ") UVic News

More on the Germanic and Slavic Studies Facebook page.

So You Think You Can Write

Maija Liinamaa, English Alumnus

UVic alumna Maija Liinamaa is the winner of the local Times Colonist's So You Think You Can Write Contest. Liinamaa graduated from the University of Victoria with an English degree. She is employed as a correspondence writer for the Transportation Ministry. Originally from Prince George, Liinamaa has lived in Victoria since 1986. Times Colonist

Humanities research enriches all our lives: Learning to think critically a vital byproduct of liberal-arts studies

John Archibald, Dean, Faculty of Humanities

In an opinion piece in Saturday's Times Colonist, Dr. Archibald writes about the priority of teaching vis-a-vis research at Canadian universities. Times Colonist

City Talk Series

Janelle Jenstad, English

Interview with Dr. Janelle Jenstad, Dept. of English, in The Ring about the City Talks series. The Ring

Teaching not a fading priority at UVic

In a letter to the editor today, Dr. Eric Sager, Dept. of History, responds to Iain Hunter's column about teaching at UVic. Times Colonist

Unlocking a sexual secret

Rachel Hope Cleves, History

UVic historian Dr. Rachel Hope Cleves is writing a book about an open lesbian relationship in 19th-century United States. She was Saturday's "Innovator" for the Times Colonist's special series on innovation and creative thinkers up and down Vancouver Island. Times Colonist

Rachel_Cleves

Glitch

Stewart Butterfield, Philosophy alumnus

UVic alumnus Stewart Butterfield, cofounder of Flickr, has just launched Glitch, a massive multiplayer online game world. Times Colonist (Scott Simpson's story originally appeared on the front page of the Vancouver Sun, Sept. 27.)

Can dubbing a cartoon help save a language?

Lorna Williams, Linguistics

Bear Country is now Sioux territory. That’s because the classic cartoon The Berenstain Bears is being dubbed into the endangered Lakota language and running on public TV down south. For the Toronto Star coverage, UVic's Dr. Lorna Williams, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Knowledge and Learning and an expert in language revitalization, says she's sure the Lakota and Dakota are proud to hear their language and song on public television, but she has trouble with putting scarce resources to translations when Indigenous people have such a rich tradition of stories of their own. Toronto Star

Conceptions and perceptions of Islam

Andrew Rippin, History

UVic historian Dr. Andrew Rippin, a specialist on Muslim religious thought, provided comment for an article on the aftermath of 9/11 and conceptions and perceptions of Islam. The Province

Latin American and Spanish Film Week

Dan Russek, Hispanic and Italian Studies

The second annual Latin American and Spanish Film Week (Sept. 19 to 25), coordinated by Dr. Dan Russek from the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies, brings to Victoria a fresh look on a variety of subjects—soccer, social justice, historical memory and romantic longing—as seen by a recent crop of talented directors from Latin America and Spain. See the story in The Ring, Monday Magazine and UVic News.

Trish Factor, Greek and Roman Studies Alumnus

A power outage and a child's fear of the dark sparked a children's novel. Its author Trish Factor is a UVic alumna who earned her BA in classical studies and was profiled on Wednesday in the Richmond paper. PostMedia News

Running for Victoria City Council

Ben Isitt, History Alumnus

Long-time political/historical buff Ben Isitt has announced he'll be running for Victoria City Council come the November election. The Fernwood native, who has his PhD in history and is heading back to UVic for a PhD in law, bowed out of the mayoral challenge to spend more time with his family. Monday Mag (scroll down)

'Royal' military moniker instils pride, but stirs worries

David Zimmerman, History

The Maritime and Air Commands are once again the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force, Defence Minister Peter MacKay announced Tuesday in a dockside ceremony attended by veterans who've spent decades lobbying for the name change. UVic military historian Dr. David Zimmerman provides comment for this Canadian Press article that has been picked up widely throughout the country. 680AM News

Clarity in the courts

Lisa Surridge and Ed Berry, English

The culture of the courts is shifting under weighty words: instead of writing with only lawyers in mind, many judges now consider their most important readers to be the public. Retired UVic Shakespearean scholar Dr. Ed Berry and Victorian literature expert Dr. Lisa Surridge, chair of UVic's English department, are two of several instructors in Canada teaching writing skills to some of the country's most influential word wielders. The Star

Canadian submarine restricted from diving deep because of rust

David Zimmerman, History

UVic military historian David Zimmerman provides comment on the fact that one of the Canadian Navy’s four Victoria-class submarines will be restricted in its ability to dive deep beneath the seas because of rust. Globe and Mail.

I-Witness Holocaust Field School

Germanic and Slavic Studies

Twenty-three University of Victoria students are now eyewitnesses to the sights, memories and history of the Holocaust after attending the inaugural I-witness Holocaust Field School in Germany, Poland and Austria in May 2011. Launched by the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies, the new course is the only one of its kind offered to undergraduate students at a Canadian university.

A special student-run event on July 20 at UVic featured presentations of the student experiences using visual art and spoken word. Second-year MA student Brooke Brassard (history in art) and fourth-year undergraduate student Lauren Micaela Petersen (history) organized the event. The members of I-witness field school were interviewed on 'A' News and CBC Radio Victoria also did an interview earlier in the week.

“Art, through various mediums such as drawing, photography, literary expression and sculpture, not only functions as a tool for memorialization, but also as a form of healing and survival,” Brassard says. Petersen adds, “Our Piece is an opportunity not only for students to showcase how they creatively reflect on the course materials and trip experiences, but also as a window of opportunity through which the public may learn more about the I-witness Holocaust Field School.”

Dr. Helga Thorson, UVic professor of Germanic studies and co-founder of the field school, says, “While visiting actual sites and memorials related to the Holocaust, field school participants not only become personally invested in learning about the past, but also become focused on making the present world a better place to live.” Fellow course founder and I-witness project director Michael Gans is a UVic graduate student specializing in Holocaust studies.

Visit http://ring.uvic.ca/news/eye-history-holocaust-field-school for more information about the field school, including excerpts from the students’ blog and a collection of their photos. The next field school is in May 2012.

In a letter to the Peace Arch News, UVic student Sarah Prusinowski describes her experience in UVic's I-Witness Holocaust Field School Project.

The fight to die

Eike-Henner Kluge, Philosophy

Assisted suicide is legal in Holland and Oregon. What's preventing BC from joining them? In the second of a two-part report in The Tyee, the online magazine turns to UVic medical ethicist Dr. Eike-Henner Kluge for comment.

'Girly' products get masculine brand

Kim Blank, English

Cupcakes are being transformed with ingredients such as pretzels and beer, and minivans have been rebranded "man vans." Are these advertising signposts a couched way of affirming stereotypes? UVic pop-culture expert Dr. Kim Blank says the trend's takeaway is that vanity isn't gender-specific...and neither is gullibility. Montreal Gazette

Canadian flag history

John Lutz, History

The Toronto Sun has offered up a little Canadian flag history lesson, just in time for July 1. UVic historian Dr. John Lutz is quoted about the importance of superseding the Union Jack. Toronto Sun

Geek Rap

Baba Brinkman, English Alumnus

UVic alumnus Baba Brinkman, a rap artist and Chaucer scholar, just scored major coverage in the New York Times. "Geek rap," as Brinkman calls it, is fast becoming a popular form of communicating about science. (Cases in point: “Large Hadron Rap”; M C Hawking.)

Brinkman has a master’s degree in medieval literature from UVic and along the way he wrote a rap version of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. He is now in an open-ended run at Manhattan's SoHo Playhouse, rapping about Darwin.

(The following online preview provides a link to a Theatre Review piece printed in the New York Times. Click on "Related" sidebar for the review.) NYT

University of Washington's Graduate Medal in the Humanities

Jentery Sayers, English

Congratulations to Jentery Sayers, the newly appointed Assistant Professor in Digital Humanities and Literary Studies in the Department of English, on winning the University of Washington's Graduate Medal in the Humanities for his dissertation "How Text Lost Its Source: Magnetic Recording Cultures". More at: http://www.jenterysayers.com/2011/graduate-medal/.

sayers

Dr. Jentery Sayers, Department of English (centre)

Boris Vian, Œuvres romanesques complètes, Gallimard, Bibliothèque de la Pléiade

Marc Lapprand, French

The famous “Bibliothèque de la Pléiade” was created in 1931 by Gallimard. It now boasts over 560 volumes of French and World Classics. They are beautiful leather-bound books, printed on very fine paper. Most of all, they are usually considered by scholars the top critical edition available. The Boris Vian set took four years to make, with a team of three, lead by Marc Lapprand, Department of French. Vian’s works were established with the most rigorous criteria. Their critical apparatus (general introduction, chronology, 17 individual presentations and geneses, 1269 endnotes) amounts to over 400 pages (approximately one million characters – Garamond 8 – the equivalent of three average size monographs). Gallimard estimates that the Pléiade remains the reference for about 40 years. Launched on October 14, 2010, the set has already sold over 15,000 copies as of March 3, 2011.

Dr. Marc Lapprand, Department of French

St. Andrew's & Caledonian Society, Scottish Studies Public Lecture, 2011

Iain Higgins, English

Iain Higgins, Dept. of English and Scottish Studies Faculty Fellow, gave a lecture on February 3 to the St. Andrew's & Caledonian Society as part of the Scottish Studies Faculty Fellowship. Dr. Higgins spoke about Robert Henryson's Morall Fabillis of Esope, a little-known minor masterpiece composed in late-medieval Scotland.